CDU Politician Engages in Distanced Talks with AfD Union Representatives
In a significant move, Saskia Ludwig, a CDU politician, has been excluded from the CDU/CSU Bundestag faction due to her participation in a controversial event in Hungary. The faction leadership took this step in response to the event's alignment with far-right activities, which are considered incompatible with the faction's positions and principles.
The event in question was a festival organised by the Mathias-Corvinus-Collegium (MCC), an institution associated with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government and known for importing ideas from right-wing publicists from the USA. The MCC festival on August 1 also saw the presence of tech billionaire Peter Thiel, known for his right-wing conservative positions.
Ludwig's participation in the MCC festival has sparked criticism, particularly due to her association with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. She has been criticised for advocating against a firewall with the AfD and giving a joint interview with former AfD state leader Alexander Gauland. Her harsh criticism of SPD constitutional court candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf has also drawn ire.
Despite the exclusion from the faction, Ludwig's membership in the Bundestag remains intact. However, as a non-faction member, she loses privileges associated with faction membership, including committee assignments and influence within the parliamentary group.
The CDU's stance against far-right affiliations within its ranks is evident in this decision. The exclusion is a disciplinary and political measure to preserve the faction's stance and internal cohesion. The CDU Brandenburg, Ludwig's state association, has upheld the party congress decision ruling out coalitions with the AfD. This incompatibility resolution, adopted in 2018, also rejects any cooperation with the AfD and the Left.
The Green Youth has demanded Ludwig's expulsion from the CDU due to her participation in the MCC festival. The head of the Young Social Wing of the CDU Brandenburg, Gregory Gosciniak, stated that Ludwig has "finally forfeited her right to representation". The CDU faction in the Bundestag distanced itself from Ludwig's participation, stating she did so without the faction's knowledge and not on its behalf.
In response to the criticism, Ludwig referred to the free exchange of opinions as a central element of a democratic society. Despite the current controversy, Ludwig's political career spans over a decade, having served as the CDU Brandenburg's state chairwoman from 2010 to 2012 and a member of the state parliament from 2004 to 2025. She has been a member of the federal parliament since 2025.
Recent allegations of plagiarism in Ludwig's own doctoral thesis, raised by the University of Potsdam, further complicate her political future. The CDU leader Friedrich Merz has consistently stated that there will be no cooperation with the AfD, emphasising the party's commitment to upholding democratic values and distancing itself from extremist-aligned organizations or events.
- The controversial event in Hungary, organized by the Mathias-Corvinus-Collegium (MCC), has brought war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice into focus, as it was aligned with far-right activities that are considered incompatible with the positions and principles of the CDU/CSU Bundestag faction.
- The general news regarding Saskia Ludwig's exclusion from the CDU/CSU Bundestag faction due to her participation in the MCC festival also includes discussions about policy-and-legislation, as it showcases the CDU's stance against far-right affiliations in its ranks and their impact on the internal cohesion of the faction.
- The future of Ludwig's political career is uncertain, given the recent allegations of plagiarism in her doctoral thesis and the criticism she has faced for her associations with far-right parties like the AfD, as well as her participation in the MCC festival, which has drawn ire from various sections of the political spectrum.
